Put the validation step before booking confirmation, not before departure. A pre-shipment TRACES validation check that runs at booking gives you time to swap a supplier or query an approval. Run it too late and the only options left are delay or risk. The step itself is small: validate every establishment code on the consignment, then act on flags only.
Definition
A pre-shipment validation step is a gate in your existing customs process that blocks progress while any establishment code is unconfirmed.
Designing the gate
Keep it boring and predictable.
- Trigger: a new or amended consignment record.
- Input: every approval number, plus country and activity.
- Output: pass, flag, or unknown.
- Rule: flags stop the booking, not the whole queue. ### Who touches it
Operations raise the consignment. Compliance handles flags. Nobody opens the portal for a code that passed.
Fitting it into the current flow
Most customs processes already have a document check and a declaration stage. Slot validation ahead of both, because a delisted establishment invalidates the paperwork you are about to prepare. Manual checking cannot sit here, since three to five minutes per code makes booking too slow, and the portal offers no bulk search or change alerts. Automated checking makes the gate cheap enough to keep, which is the shape of a TRACES validation workflow.
Handling exceptions well
- Route flags to a named owner, not a shared inbox.
- Re-run validation after any supplier amendment.
- Record the decision, including overrides. Exception handling is where the freed time should go once manual effort drops by up to 80%.
FAQ
Does this slow bookings down?
No. Validation runs in seconds, so only flagged consignments pause.
What if a code is unknown rather than failed?
Treat unknown as a flag and confirm the country and activity before proceeding.
How is the step evidenced?
Each run leaves a timestamped record against the consignment.
Check how many hours your workflow could give back before the next booking. Watch a demo
